A Home At Last
by Hallow Sisters On My Mind
Summary: Esmerelda has left home for college and with her gone the treatment towards Ethel gets worse. Can Esmerelda get her away from them or will there be to many people against her? Rated M for later content.
1. Chapter 1-Surprise

A/N: Welcome to a new story about my favorite Hallow girls. This one is going to be different as it is set when the girls are older. I have changed the ages in this story so there is four years between Esmeralda and Ethel instead of two because I needed Ethel younger than sixteen but Esmeralda at least eighteen. This first chapter is slow but I hope you stay with me as it will get better. This story will not be edited by anyone.

* * *

 **A Home At Last**

* * *

Chapter One- Surprise

There was an knock on the door and the person in the flat gave an cheery 'I am coming' in response. They opened the door and saw an blonde girl stood on the doorstep.

"SUPRISE" The girl shouted to the person who had answered the door. For an moment the person who had answered stood there until their face broke into an smile.

"ETHIE" Esmeralda Hallow shouted as she wrapped her arms around her little sister hugging her tightly. They hugged for an good few minutes as they had not seen each other in months before pulling away.

"What are you doing here? Your holidays do not start until next week?" Esmeralda asked.

"I lied, I wanted to surprise you they actually started yesterday" Ethel said with an smile.

Esmeralda Hallow was now eighteen years old and had now left Cackle's Academy and was now studying at Weirdsister college. The college was very far from the Hallow residence so she had to move into student accommodation. As for Ethel she was now fourteen and was a forth year at Cackle's Academy but as the school was an boarding school the two girls only got to see each other during school holidays but they had gotten a lot closer recently.

* * *

Ethel walked into the flat happily looking around, she had only seen it once she had forgotten what it looked like a little bit.

"Where is Sybil?" Esmeralda asked her sister wondering the whereabouts of the youngest sister who was an third year at Cackle's and was thirteen.

"Mum and dad were taking her out somewhere or something" Ethel replied simply as she sat on the cream coloured sofa.

Esmeralda nodded in understanding before asking a question.

"Drink? Food?" she asked her sister.

"Just some orange juice please" Ethel replied. Esmeralda nodded and stood up walking to the kitchen.

The flat was fairly small, it had an very small living room with a sofa and a armchair and a kitchen which was joined to the living room, it had a small bathroom and two bedrooms one for Esme and one for her room-mate.

"How is school?" Esmie asked her sister from the kitchen as she could still see her sister from where she was.

"Oh you know same old Cackle's, Agatha has not pulled any tricks yet though so everyone is waiting for her next stupid scheme" Ethel replied informing her sister how school was.

Esmie came back with two glasses of juice and handed one to her sister before taking a sip of hers and replying.

"I miss Cackle's" Esmeralda replied with an fond smile at the memories.

Ethel laughed before replying and then smirked.

"I swear HB has gotten worse, I bet she misses her star pupil, the new head girl is nearly as badly behaved as I am!" Ethel replied as she picked up her drink, took an sip and then put her glass back on the coaster.

"No-one is as badly behaved as you are" Esmie replied with an laugh.

"I cannot even deny it" Ethel admitted with an fond smile. "How is college life?" Ethel asked really interested.

"It is...well I have so much work I don't even know how I find time to sleep and now I know why it is an good idea for Cackles to teach girls separately" Esmeralda replied.

"Why are boys really that distracting?" Ethie asked interested. She had no experience with them herself.

"Yes, there is this really adorable guy who sits in front of me in my spells class...I spent the entire lesson yesterday staring at the back of his head, I couldn't help it he has such nice hair" Esmeralda admitted causing Ethie to laugh.

"That is so funny, this coming from the girl who prides herself on paying attention" Ethel said laughing more.

"It is not my fault he sits within my range of vision" Esmeralda replied turning slightly red from embarrassment as Ethel laughed at her.

"Speaking of boys guess who came to Cackles last week" Ethel said.

"Zac?" Esmie guessed.

"How did you know that?" Ethie asked confused how her sister knew that when she had not told her.

"You don't know any other boys" Esmeralda logically replied.

"Good point, anyway yes he came along to support the first years on the annual spelling bee" Ethel told her sister. The spelling bee was now an tradition and held every year between Cackles and Pentangle's first years.

"So what did you end up saying to embarrass yourself this time then?" Esmeralda asked knowing everytime Ethel was around the boy she got tongue tied and ended up saying something stupid.

"Actually...I managed to talk to him!" Ethel told Esme proudly. Esmie who had just picked up her drink quickly put it down excitedly and beamed at her sister.

"Really? Tell me everything that was said" Esmeralda asked her sister wanting to know what they had said to each other now Ethel had managed to say something other than an single word.

"Well I said 'Hello Zac and then he said Hello Ethel" Ethel replied telling her sister exactly what they had both said to each other.

"Is that it?" Esmeralda asked thinking there had been more to the conversation than that.

"Well yes, after that he had to leave to help the younger students" Ethie replied telling her sister why the conversation was so short.

"Well it is an start" Esmeralda replied with an small laugh. Just then an door behind Esmie opened and an teenager came out. She had dark hair which was just touching her shoulder blades and brown eyes with freckles on her face.

* * *

"Morning" the girl said

"It is nearly one in the afternoon, it is not morning anymore" Esmeralda replied shaking her head.

"Whatever, who is our little guest?" she asked as she noticed Ethel.

"This is my sister Ethie...I mean Ethel" Esmeralda replied. She wanted to say her sister's full name or her room-mate might think her actual name was Ethie and call her it when she did not like others using the name. She was strangely quite sensitive to people using the name.

"Ethie...erm Ethel this is my room-mate Cadence Nightmoon" Esmeralda told her sister introducing the girls to each other.

"Hi nice to meet you Ethie" she said with an smirk and then laughed at the look Esmeralda was giving her. Esmeralda could have made Ethel's famous glare look like nothing at that moment. "Just kidding I know the nickname is your thing, nice to meet you Ethel" she said.

"Hi there" Ethel replied with a smile.

"You look an lot like your sister you know" Cadence replied seeing similarities between the girls. Both blonde and both similar facial wise though the eldest had brown eyes and the youngest had blue.

"Thanks" Ethel said happily liking that it was easy to tell they are sisters.

Cadence laughed and Ethel liked her already she was warm and friendly. The girl put on an jacket.

"See you later then I am going to meet Adam" she said walking towards the door.

Cadence" Esmeralda said calling her back

"Mmm?" the girl replied.

Esmeralda held up an keyring with an bunch of keys on them "You might want to take these with you" Esme told her.

"Oh yes thanks" she said grabbing her keys and then leaving.

"Who is Adam?" Ethie asked as the door closed.

"Her boyfriend, they went to Pentangle's together" Esmeralda replied telling her sister who she was.

"That girl went to Pentangle's?" Ethel asked amazed "But she seems so..." Ethel said trying to think of the word as Pentangle's students tended to be stuck up and serious about everything. Cadence reminded her of an much less clumsy version of Mildred Hubble.

"I know, she does drive me insane at times, she is always forgetting her stupid keys" Esmeralda admitted.

* * *

The two girls spoke for hours until Ethel had to leave just after four as Esmie did not want her walking in the dark. Esmeralda closed the door as Ethel sighed to herself making her way home. She would rather of stayed with her sister only the rules would not allow it.


	2. Chapter 2- The Money

A/N: So I was watching my 2017 WW dvd today to get pictures of the sisters and using subtitles to help me realise where I was up to as I had no sound on and I realised Esme is supposed to be spelled 'Esmie' (Which is a nickname so it really does not matter but I like everything to be how it actually is). Anyway in this chapter I have spelled it the correct way just in case anyone thinks I did it by mistake.

* * *

Chapter Two- The Money

Ethel got home and walked through the door hanging her coat on the hook and saying hello to their butler. She then walked down the hall and did not even bother to go into the living room as she knew her parents would only pretend she wasn't there.

Ethel climbed the stairs to her bedroom and sat on her bed getting out her books and starting the homework that she had to do over the holidays. She worked for a hour before realising she was needing another book so she got of her bed and walked across the hall to her sister's room.

As Esmeralda was at college, Ethel had stored a few of her books in there for the time being. She walked into the room which was fairly empty as of course the majority of things Esmie had taken with her. Ethel looked around for the book she needed and realised the book she actually needed was her sister's.

* * *

Ethel at one point would have taken the book without asking but now she was closer to her sister and now that she was becoming older and realised how dangerous some books were she thought it was best to ask first. She walked to her the mirror in her sister's room, held up a card with her name and waited.

"Esmie" Ethie said as she saw her sister was distracted as she was reading a book. Her sister lowered the book and smiled.

"Can't get enough of me or something?" Ethie joked as Ethel had just seen her less than an hour before.

"So funny" Ethel replied saracatically. "I mirrored you to ask you if I can borrow this book" Ethel held it up for her sister to see the title.

"Yes sure go ahead, and thank you for asking for once" Esmie replied happy Ethel had asked her.

"Well I thought it would be best to ask, do you want me to get Sybil to mirror you later?" Ethel asked her sister.

"Yes please, tell her about eight, mum and dad will kill me if I make her miss dinner to talk to me" Esmeralda replied telling her sister her reasoning for that time.

"Oh I know, can I come around tomorrow?" Ethel asked wanting to visit her sister again.

"Yes, I only have one lesson tomorrow so I am free from eleven so come around when you want" Esmeralda told her with a smile happy Ethel wanted to visit. Just then on Esmie's side there was a very loud beeping noise and Ethel covered her ears.

"What is that?" the younger sister asked the older sister.

"The fire alarm, Cadence burned something I have to go" the elder replied as she cut of the call.

Ethie could not help chuckling slightly at what had happened and then she looked at her watch and seeing the time she took the book she had borrowed back to her room and then made her way downstairs for dinner knowing if she was not there her parents would not bother to call her.

* * *

Arriving down the stairs Ethel sat down and waited as her parents were still stood up talking to each other, she leaned her hand on her chin bored as she waited for everyone else to be ready for dinner. Sybil skipped down the stairs a few seconds later and took her usual seat.

"Esmie told me to tell you to mirror her at eight" Ethel told her little sister as she had the opportunity as her parents were distracted.

"Okay" Sybil replied happily. Ethel looked at her watch seeing it was time to eat but her parents were still talking.

"Mu-um" Sybil said. Her mother stopped talking to her father and looked at the youngest.

"Hurry up I am hungry" Sybil complained wanting her dinner.

"Just put it away for now" Mrs Hallow said to Mr Hallow who put an brown envelope in a dresser and then both of them sat down with their daughters as food was finally served.

It was a awkward mealtime for Ethel. Mr and Mrs Hallow did not allow their children to eat in their rooms and had told them before if they wanted food they had to eat as a family. Normally Ethel and Esmeralda would talk during dinner as they sat closest to each other but with the eldest gone Sybil was chatting away to their parents about everything and anything as Ethel sat there just eating her food being ignored.

After dinner Mr and Mrs Hallow made their way back to the sitting room and Sybil went to join them. Ethel stood up remembering she needed some tape so went to look for some in the drawer her father had placed the envelope. She lifted the envelope out to look underneath it and finding the tape she walked off after closing the drawer not realising the envelope was in her hand and that she had not put it back.

* * *

Returning to her room Ethel put the envelope on her bed along with the tape as she started sorting her schoolwork out. Ethel was using the tape to fix a rip in her essay that her cat, Nightstar had caused by accident and was happy to see when she had finished it was not noticeable anymore.

When Ethel was at home she only left her bedroom to go and eat as most of the time she tried her best to stay out of her parents way as they she felt like she was always in their way. It was only after she was settling down to read her book she noticed the envelope and she picked it up and opened it as it was not sealed and she saw money inside. Ethel being Ethel was very tempted, I mean to her parents who were rich losing a little bit of money would not make a difference, Ethel counted out £100 and stared at the notes thinking what she could buy with that amount of money.

A new broomstick, all the books she could want, new clothes, a new cauldron. Yes the girl was tempted but she put the money back in the envelope. Even she knew stealing £100 from her own family was a all time low and was enough to get her disowned and she was sure Esmie would never forgive her for it. Ethel sighed and stood up knowing she had to put it back and could not give in to her temptations.

* * *

Picking up the envelope Ethel sneaked down the stairs to the dining room. She would put it back before anyone noticed it was missing and no-one would ever have to know. She quietly walked to the drawer where she had found the money and quickly removing the notes from the envelope again just to double check it was all there, after her disaster of a entrance exam where Mildred had ruined her potion, she had learned to check everything twice.

As she was counting out the money she heard footsteps behind her before she heard a shout

"Ethel...what on earth do you think you are doing?" her father asked as she turned to look at him the money still in her hand.

"I was...just putting it back...I took it by accident" Ethel said truthfully.

The look her father was giving to her at that moment was one of pure hatred. He clearly didn't believe her.

"It is the truth" Ethel shouted at him.

"What is all this shouting about?" Mrs Hallow asked as she entered the room with Sybil right behind her.

"Ethel is stealing" her father replied telling his wife what had been going on.

"ETHEL!" Her mother shouted. Ethel sighed she had always wanted her parents to notice her but not like this.

"I was not stealing your stupid money" Ethel replied stressed at being accused "I was putting it back, why don't you believe me?" Ethel asked them.

"Because with your record how can you expect us to believe you?" her mother asked her seriously.

"Okay good point but where in my record does it say I have ever stolen someone's money?" Ethel asked her mum and dad as Sybil just looked at her.

"Give it to me now" her father demanded angrily. Ethel handed it over without hesitation.

"We do not tolerate thief's" her father told her as he glared at her.

"I am not a thief! Ethel shouted back "Esmie would believe me" Ethel replied not sure exactly if her older sister would believe her but hoping she would.

"Well she is not here is she?" her mother replied also glaring at her middle daughter.

Ethel looked at her parents angrily. They really thought she was a thief and would not even listen to her. Sybil was looking at her blankly, Ethie could not tell whether she believed her or not. As Ethel looked at her mother and father her anger was rising and before she knew what she was doing she was snatching the envelope out of her father's hand and ripping it into shreds.

"What are you doing!?" her mother asked her.

"Oh don't have a fit over it, you are rich it is like losing an tenner to you!" Ethel shouted. "I wish I had stolen that money now" Ethel carried on shouting at the top of her voice causing even the maids and butlers to stop and look interested. The Hallow house was normally quiet so they were not used to this shouting. "Because I could have given it to someone who deserved it or needed it like a homeless person" Ethel shouted at them annoyed she had not thought to give it away before. Her parents had more than enough money and if she had not being caught she seriously doubted they would have noticed.

"That is OUR money you don't get to decide what is done with it!" her mother shouted in response.

"Oh I know and you are selfish with it, I mean why don't you donate some instead of keeping this extra money you do not need!" Ethel shouted at them.

"Ethel I am warning you" her father replied his eyes blazing with anger.

"I mean Esmie donates money when she can and she is not even flaming rich, it is not my fault you are so greedy with it, I wish you would lose all your stupid money!" Ethel shouted really not caring anymore. Their money did not make her happy anyway.

Her father stared at her for a second after she finishing speaking before he slapped her around the face causing Sybil to gasp out in shock at the sound of his hand hitting Ethel's cheek rang around the quiet room. Ethel stood there holding her cheek completely shocked. Her parents had never been violent towards her before and she could not believe it had happened.

"Get upstairs before I drag you up them, GO!" her father shouted at her loudly causing Ethel to jump and run up the stairs.

Sybil had been staring at her sister in shock for the past few minutes never in her whole life having seen her father or mother hit any of them before. Her parents walked away her mother not saying anything and her father clearly still angry.

"Sybil, come on" her mother said as she saw her daughter just stood there. For once in her life Sybil did not know whether to go to her sister or her parents but knowing Ethel hated to be seen upset she followed her mother and father.


	3. Chapter 3- Worries

Chapter Three- Worries  


Ethel ran into her bedroom holding her red cheek still in shock as to what had just happened. Her parents had never laid their hands on her before but then again she suspected it had something to do with Esmeralda...if they had hit her in front of her elder sister she would not have let them get away with it.

She sat on her bed stroking Nightstar absent-mindedly but she felt a little scared. She was worried this would happen again as people always told her it was never a one off. All she could do was behave and stay out of their way.

* * *

Just like Sybil had promised the youngest sister mirrored her sister at five past eight. Esmeralda had clearly being waiting for her as she was sitting down ready to talk.

"Hello Sybil, how are you?" Esmeralda asked her youngest sister with a smile.

"Hi Esmeralda..." Sybil replied quietly "Everything is just fine.." Sybil replied looking at the ground.

Esmeralda was instantly worried about how Sybil was acting. Sybil never usually stopped talking once she started and she was always happy and jumping around. Esmeralda who knew her sisters' very well could tell something was on the young girl's mind.

"Sybil...what is the matter?" Esmeralda asked concerned.

"Honestly it is nothing Esmie, how is college?" Sybil asked trying to change the subject.

The truth was Sybil was thinking about her father hitting Ethel. She had never seen her parents hit any of them before and it had shocked her, she knew parents were not supposed to hit there children and she should really tell someone.

"Don't even try to change the subject Sybil" Esmeralda replied knowing what her sister was doing. She knew her to well. "Now spill what is the matter?" Esmeralda asked.

Sybil looked at her hands playing with them anxiously not sure whether or not to tell her sister what had happened or not, Esmeralda would get really angry and Sybil honestly was scared of being taken away from her home.

"Esmie..." Sybil started still fidgeting "Can I ask you something?" the younger girl asked nervously.

"Of course you can Sybil, what is it?" Esmeralda asked growing more worried by the way Sybil was acting.

"Okay say something happened...something that you knew was a bad thing and you promised not to tell...would you tell?" Sybil asked looking at her sister needing to know what she would do.

"Well that depends" Esmeralda replied "Did anyone get hurt?" Esmeralda asked her sister seriously wondering what had happened for Sybil to be so anxious. Sybil was never the anxious one it was so strange to see her like this.

Sybil looked down lost in thought for a moment before she looked back up and nodded answering the question through no words.

"Then in that case, yes I would tell" Esmeralda replied straight away. "If someone I loved is hurt sometimes I have to break a promise to help them" Esmeralda replied telling her sister exactly what she would do.

Sybil nodded with a sigh knowing her sister was right. She knew she really sure tell someone about her father hitting Ethel.

"What happened Sybil tell me" Esmeralda said needing to know what had made her sister so upset.

Sybil opened her mouth to explain. "Well...mum and dad thought Ethel stole some money" Sybil started of by saying.

"How much exactly?" Esmeralda asked wanting to know all the details.

"One hundred pounds" Sybil replied remembering the amount. Esmeralda nodded listening.

"Okay...so what happened?" Esmeralda asked not sure where Sybil was going with this.

"Well Ethel denied it, I don't think she stole it to be honest" Sybil admitted saying she believed her sister. She really did not think Ethel had taken the money on purpose.

"So I am guessing mum and dad did not believe her?" Esmeralda asked piecing everything together.

"No, and they started having a big argument" Sybil told the eldest blonde with a sigh.

"Right so then what happened?" Esmeralda asked Sybil wanting to know what had happened afterwards.

Sybil opened her mouth to reply but did not get the chance because just then someone shouted her name.

"Mum is calling me I better go" Sybil told Esmie quickly relieved she had gotten out of having to get her parents into trouble.

"No wait, tell me what happened first" Esmeralda replied wanting to know before her sister left.

"I will tell you tomorrow, bye" Sybil said ending the call quickly and then leaving to go find her mum.

"No Sybil don't you dare leave..." Esmeralda said as the other girl ended the girl.

Esmeralda sighed now really worried. She knew something had happened at home, something that did not normally happen and Sybil had admitted someone got hurt but who? And how were they hurt?. Esmeralda told herself she would ask Ethel tomorrow and tried not to think about it for the rest of the day but as much as she tried not to it was at the back of her mind.

* * *

Ethel woke up just gone eight the next day and quickly went downstairs to have something to eat, the staff in the kitchen were nice and promised not to tell her parents she was eating in there. After she had eaten she went back to her room and got dressed into a purple top and darker purple jeans before putting her hair up into the normal high ponytail she always wore tied of with a purple ribbon instead of the normal black she wore for her uniform.

After she had finished getting ready she took another look at her right cheek that her father had hit the night before. Last night before she had gone to bed her cheek had been bright red and it had been clear that someone had slapped her but right now the redness had reduced leaving only a light pink mark on her cheek.

The thing was Ethel knew Esmeralda would probably notice the mark and want to know how she had got it which is why Ethel considered covering it with make-up just to avoid the awkward questions. The only problem was Ethel did not wear make-up yet and the only person who had any make-up was her mother and after the events from the night before Ethel thought she best not risk getting caught stealing her mother's make-up as her mother already thought she was a thief.

With all this running through her mind Ethel decided it would be best if she just left it and if her sister did ask her about it she would think of a excuse, she did not want to tell her the truth and upset her. That was the whole reason she wanted to hide it, not to cover for her parents but to not upset her sister.

Ethel walked down the stairs and realising it was raining she picked up her purple coat and put it on her putting the hood up before leaving the mansion.

She walked towards the broomshed next to her house and took out her broomstick, there was no buses or cars that went into Weirdsister college so the girl had to travel by broomstick which was not so bad as she was a witch and knew some drying spells.

Mounting her broomstick she took off into the sky excited to see her sister but nervous about revealing the mark on her face.


	4. Chapter 4- Suspicious

Chapter Four- Suspicious

Ethel landed in the courtyard and put her broomstick in one of the bloodsheds before uttering a quick drying spell as she was still wet from the rain. The young girl then started to walk towards her sisters flat as a lot of Weirdsister students stared at her as after all she was half their size so it was unusual for them to see someone her age there.

Ignoring the stares Ethel made her way to her sister's flat and raised her fist to knock on the door when the door opened before she got the chance.

"Hi Ethel" Cadence said cheerily.

"Hi Cadence" Ethel smiled as she replied.

"Your sister is in her room reading a book or something to do with work, I don't know I wasn't paying attention" Cadence admitted. Ethel laughed thinking how different the room-mates were.

"Well I have to go out, see you later" the older girl said as she walked off. Ethel walked into her sisters flat and then walked to the door on the left across from the flat before knocking.

"Esmie it is me, Cadence let me in" Ethel said as she knocked on her sister's bedroom door.

"Come in" Esmeralda said sounding cheery.

Ethel walked into the room and casually sat on her sister's bed.

"What are you doing?" Ethel asked as she realised her sister was sat on the floor with about fifty pieces of paper all around her. Ethel knew her sister was smart but even she could not do fifty pieces of work at once.

"I am sorting it alphabetically, it makes it easier to keep track of everything" Esmie replied keeping her eyes on the papers, having not yet noticed her sister's face.

"Yes Cadence said you were doing something to do with work, she seemed highly uninterested" Ethel replied trying to keep her sister distracted. Maybe if she kept her eyes on the papers she would not notice the mark on her face.

Esmeralda had to laugh at that comment "That girl hates doing work, we are complete opposites" the older sister says before she stood up. "I need a break" the girl said finally looking up. Ethel tried her best to keep her marked cheek away from her line of vision.

"Oh before I forget I wanted to ask you something" Esmeralda said preparing to ask her sister if she knew anything about Sybil's weird behaviour.

"Yes what is it?" Ethel asked nervously.

"Well I was going to ask you why..." the girl stopped for a second and Ethel realised she had turned towards her and mentally cursed herself.

* * *

Esmeralda had been smiling but her face changed to a look of confusion and then into one of worry.

"Ethie" the older girl said rushing towards her sister and taking her face into her hands looking at the mark on her face.

"What happened to your face?" Esmeralda asked her in shock at seeing the pink mark on her sister's cheek.

"A stupid accident that is all" Ethel replied making it up on the spot. Esmeralda removed her hands from her sister's face and sat next to her on the bed.

"What sort of accident?" Esmeralda asked wanting to know the details. She was not stupid the mark looked like it had been caused by being hit.

"When I went to get my broomstick from the broomshed...my broomstick fell out and fell on me hitting me on the face" Ethel lied hoping her sister believed her.

"Are you telling me the truth?" Esmeralda asked as she narrowed her eyes not believing her.

"Of course I am" Ethel lied again needing Esmie to believe her.

Esmeralda gave Ethel a look that Ethel hated because it was a look that normally made her confess everything but this time she knew she could not tell the truth.

"Don't look at me like that" Ethel told Esmie looking away so she did not have to look at her sister. "It is the truth I swear" Ethel said hoping she was not being to obvious.

"Oh so it has nothing to do with how Sybil was being so odd last night?" Esmeralda asked not buying her sisters story at all. She could tell when she was lying.

"I have no idea what you mean" Ethel replied looking at her sister confused. Esmie could tell this time she really had no idea what she was on about.

"Last night when Sybil mirrored me she was being really quiet and seemed to have something on her mind, I got her to tell me what the matter was, mum and dad thought you had stolen some money and you had a argument" Esmeralda replied explaining what she meant.

"Yes that is all true so what?" Ethel asked not getting her sister's point.

"Well Sybil told me someone got hurt and that is why she was upset, she never told me who because mum called her, does it have anything to do with your face?" Esmeralda asked Ethel very suspiciously.

"Of course it doesn't, I have no idea what Sybil is talking about I had a argument with mum and dad yes but then I left and went to my room" Ethel told her sister leaving out the part about her father hitting her.

"Are you sure?" Esmeralda asked not thinking her parents would really hurt her sister but if they had she wanted to know.

"Yes!" Ethel replied growing annoyed "It was a stupid accident that is all will you please drop it" Ethel went on annoyed and struggling to keep the secret. She felt like she was about to spill so she had to change the subject.

"I know" Ethel started of by saying wanting to talk about something else. She moved to sit on the floor. "Why don't I help you sort your work, there is twenty six letters in the alphabet, so if we both work on thirteen letters each it will be done a lot quicker" Ethel suggested wanting her sister to forget about her face and what better way for that then to totally distract her?

Esmeralda went and sat on the floor next to her sister helping her to sort out the work but the mark on Ethel's face was always on her mind.

"See that did not take to long" Ethel commented a hour later when the two sisters had finished sorting the work out alphabetically.

"Well it is always easier with two people, thank you for helping Ethie" Esmeralda told her with a smile.

"No problem" Ethel said with a smile at her older sister.

"Are you hungry? Do you want to go to the cafe?" Esmeralda asked her sister.

"Please" Ethel replied as the two sisters walked to the local cafe. Once again Ethel was stared at as people realised she was a schoolchild.

* * *

"Yes I know my sister is beautiful but can you not stare as we are eating? It is making us uncomfortable" Esmeralda said as she walked back to the table with some food and noticed a young boy who was at the table in front of them staring intensely at Ethel. Ethel laughed as the boy turned red and turned away clearly embarrassed at having being told off.

"Thanks that guy was giving me the creeps" Ethel admitted as she ate a chip happily.

"No problem, people are crazy you would think they have never seen someone younger than them before" Esmeralda commented amazed her sister was been stared at because she was a different age.

"I know what you mean, anyone would think I had dyed my hair six different colours with the way they are staring" Ethel replied.

Esmeralda laughed as she ate a chip enjoying spending time with her sister.

After they had finished eating Ethel stayed for a few more hours as the two sisters talked and caught up and it was only when Ethel was gone Esmeralda let her thoughts come back to her. She knew her sister was lying and that something had happened to her face which was nothing to do with being hit by a broomstick but were her parents really capable of doing that to Ethel? Esmeralda did not know what to think and let it slide...this time but she would be keeping a eye on her sisters a lot more closer for now on.


	5. Chapter 5- Hurt Again

Chapter Five- Hurt Again

Ethel stayed out of her parents way over the next few days neither mentioning anything about the slap. The girl would eat at meals as fast as she could so she could get away from them but one day during lunch their father started to talk.

"Girls, tonight we will be going to Mr Robinson's for dinner and I want both of you to be on your best behaviour" Mr Hallow told his daughters.

Mr Robinson was someone the Hallows had worked with for many years, Ethel knew that he had a daughter too who was a little bit younger than Sybil. Her parents had gone for dinner at this man's home before but they never took their daughters.

"Why do we have to go daddy?" Sybil asked the question Ethel wanted to know the answer to as well.

"His daughter will be there too, it is going to be a big family gathering" Mr Hallow answered the question.

Ethel sighed to herself. She hated going out with her family but at least when Esmie went with them she had someone to talk to. She knew tonight was going to be awful and she was going to do everything she could to avoid going.

* * *

Later that night Mrs Hallow told her girls to start getting ready and Sybil skipped happily to her bedroom to get ready. Ethel however walked to her bedroom and started to read a book not making any effort to get ready. She doubted her parents would notice anyway.

The girl read her book for a good ten minutes absent-mindedly stroking Nightstar when she heard a knock on her door.

"Come in Sybil" the girl replied to the knock knowing her sisters were the only ones to ever go in her room but obviously with Esmie not living there it had to be her younger sister.

The door opened and Ethel lowered her book in shock as she saw her mother standing there. She literally could not remember the last time the woman had been in her bedroom.

"Mum?" Ethel said shocked to see her stood there.

"What are you doing? Hurry up we have to leave in half an hour" Mrs Hallow replied. Clearly she had not come in Ethel's room to spend some quality time with her middle daughter.

"I am not coming mother" Ethel replied not seeing why it mattered whether she went or not.

"Oh yes you are, it will look terrible if you don't come" Mrs Hallow told her.

Ethel rolled her eyes. Of COURSE her parents were concerned about their reputation and her embarrassing them, if this dinner was not going to ruin their reputation they probably would never have even bothered to mention it to Ethel.

Ethel lifted back up the book she had lowered and started to read again not responding to her mother's statement.

She could hear her mother walked towards her but the girl kept her eyes on the page not wanting to talk to her any longer.

"Ethel Hallow get up right now!" her mother shouted at her.

"No I don't want to come, I am staying here" Ethel told her mother exactly what she was planning to do.

"ETHEL GET UP" Her mother shouted knowing if the girl did not get a move on they were going to be late. Ethel liked the thought of her parents being late and their reputation of them being these amazing people being tarnished so the girl smirked.

"It is not funny, why can you not be more like your sisters!" Mrs Hallow shouted at her not understanding her middle child and not knowing how to deal with her.

"Can you please leave I am trying to read" Ethel told her mother just wanting to read her book in peace.

The book Ethel was reading was suddenly grabbed out of her hands and her mother threw it across the room.

"HEY!" Ethel complained not liking her books being thrown around.

"I have had enough of your attitude get up!" Mrs Hallow told her grabbing a hold of her arm and pulling her.

"Oww you are hurting me" Ethel complained as her mother pulled on her arm and the girl fussed.

"Get up" her mother told her still pulling on the girl.

Seeing the girl fussing and realising they were not getting anywhere her mother slapped her. Ethel held her cheek shocked she had been hit again, that was twice in the space of a week. The shock caused her to stop fussing and sit there holding her cheek.

"You have twenty minutes to get up and get dressed if you are not downstairs and ready to go in twenty minutes I will come back up here, do you understand me?" her mother shouted close to her face. Ethel nodded feeling her eyes becoming wet.

* * *

Ethel quickly got ready and went downstairs the red mark on her left cheek still bright red. The mark on her right cheek was gone now but she still could not hide the new mark. Ethel took her coat and started to put it on as Sybil appeared dressed in her best clothes and looking fancy.

"Ethel you have a rash on your face" Sybil commented seeing the mark on her sister's face but not thinking much of it.

Ethel knew how much her little sister loved her parents and she did not want to upset her by telling her their mother had hit her so the girl played along.

"I know, I think I had a allergic reaction to something" Ethel told her sister who did not seem to concerned about it. She brought Ethel's excuse not able to tell she was lying.

The family drove to Mr Robinson's house which was about half an hour away. Ethel was not looking forward to this dinner at all and was willing it to be over or at least wishing Esmeralda was going with them.

* * *

Arriving at the house Ethel sighed. It was a mansion not dissimilar to the one the Hallows lived in and Ethel just knew this man was going to be stuck up just like her parents. She followed her parents and sister and they were led into a large hallway by the servants where they waited for this Mr Robinson.

"Jafar Evanora!" Mr Robinson said as he appeared at the top of the stairs and then he shook hands with Mr Hallow and kissed Mrs Hallow on the cheek before they all did the normal 'well met' gesture to each other. Ethel was amazed this man was so excited to see her parents. They really were not that exciting.

"How lovely it is to see you Alatar, thank you for inviting us to your beautiful home" Mr Hallow told the man.

"Anytime Jafar" the man replied. He was tall and dressed in a suit with brown hair and piercing green eyes.

All was silent for a moment until Mrs Hallow started to talk.

"These are our daughters, Ethel and Sybil, I am so sorry our eldest Esmeralda was unable to come but she is at college and is very busy" Mrs Hallow said introducing the girls to her friend. The man turned to look at the middle and youngest sister.

"Oh what beautiful children!" the man commented smiling at them. "Helena, Helena" the man said as a little girl came walking into the room followed by a dark haired woman with brown eyes. The little girl was the spitting image of her father.

"This is my wife, Clarissa" he said introducing the woman to everyone who all greeted each other before he paused.

"Harriet darling look you have some friends to play with, why don't you take them upstairs as we wait for dinner?" he suggested as the three girls went up the stairs.

"You have a really nice room" Sybil commented entering the large bedroom.

"Of course I do, I have the biggest room in the house and everything you see in here cost way into the thousands" the girl said smugly. Ethel sighed knowing it was going to be a long night.

* * *

Finally everyone was sat down to dinner and Ethel tried her best to be polite and not yawn despite how bored she was. Her parents were talking about work, work and work with the Robinson's. Halfway through the meal the doorbell rang and Ethel ignored it not realising how awkward the meal was about to become.


	6. Chapter 6- Fears Confirmed

Chapter Six- Fears Confirmed

The two families were eating and talking when one of the butlers walked in looking very professional.

"Mr Robinson we have a latecomer" the man said stepping aside to let whoever was there into the room.

"ESMIE" Ethel shouted out in shock at seeing her elder sister.

"Ethie" the older girl said happily running to hug her little sister before hugging Sybil happily.

"How are my favourite girls?" Esmeralda asked them both beaming.

"Good!" Sybil replied.

"Brilliant!" Ethel replied beaming at her sister.

"Esmeralda" Mrs Hallow said. The girl looked up seeming only to now remember her parents were there. She then walked over and hugged and kissed each of them before her mother started to talk.

"Mr Robinson, this is Esmeralda our eldest" the woman said introducing her oldest daughter.

"Well met" Esmeralda replied touching her forehead and bowing to the man. "I am so sorry that I am barging in like this I just wanted to see my little sisters and I know it is sort notice and you probably have no food left" Esmeralda told the man in case he thought she was there for food...which she was but he didn't need to know that.

"Oh that is no problem, thank you for coming the more the merrier and chef always makes extra, Maxwell get the young lady some dinner please" the man said smiling at the eldest.

"What are you doing here Esmeralda you said you were far to busy to come?" her father asked curiously.

"Yes father I was but my work pile this weekend is far smaller than normal so I had some free time" the eldest blonde replied explaining why she was there.

"Very well, please take a seat!" Mrs Robinson told her politely. Esmeralda walked over to the other girls and took a seat next to Ethel.

* * *

"Did you really only come here to see us?" Ethel whispered starting a conversation happily.

"Yes but I wanted free food" Esmeralda admitted causing Ethel to laugh.

"What? Food is expensive you know plus it is Cadence's night to cook and I did not want to get food poisoning so I decided to come here" Esmeralda told her sister every reason why she had chosen to come to this stupid dinner.

"Is she really that bad a cook?" Ethel asked thinking her sister was overreacting.

"Yes, last time I ate her food I found a plaster in it" Esmeralda replied disgusted at the memory.

"Eww gross" Ethel replied pulling a face as Esmeralda was served her food.

"Ahh normal cutlery, it feels so good to use it again" Esmeralda commented as she started to eat.

"Do you still use the plastic ones?" Esmeralda asked knowing her sister had been using plastic for a while.

"Of course, Cadence never washes up and I don't have the time to do it everyday so plastic it is for a while" Esmie replied eating happily.

"Aww Esmie I feel honoured you came to see me" Ethel said wrapping her arms around her and kissing her cheek messing with her.

"Since when are you soppy?" Esmie asked happily and with a chuckle.

"Esmie I am insulted you would think I am unaffectionate" Ethel said with a laugh enjoying messing with her older sister.

Luckily for Ethel as the sisters were eating Esmeralda had not noticed the fresh mark on her face and Ethel had honestly forgotten it was there from the shock and happiness of seeing her sister which made the girl careless with trying to conceal it.

Esmeralda looked up to ask her sister another question and her eyes widened as she lowered her fork looking at the mark on her sister's cheek. Ethel had not noticed as she had just taken a bite of her food and was distracted. Esmeralda could not believe she was seeing a fresh mark on Ethel.

"Ethie..." Esmeralda said quietly causing Ethel to turn around and look at her.

"Yes Esmeralda?" Ethel asked looking at her sister.

Esmeralda never got a chance to ask her sister about what was clearly a fresh mark because just then her mother started talking to her.

"Esmeralda darling why don't you tell Mr and Mrs Robinson about your exciting life at Weirdsister?" Mrs Hallow suggested to her daughter.

Esmeralda nodded coming out of her shock and started talking to the Robinson's knowing it would be rude if she did not and by the time she had finished the conversation everyone was moving into the sitting room so Esmeralda still did not get a chance to speak to her.

* * *

Esmeralda knew she could not ask her sister right now about the mark on her face because there was to many people around to hear her but the girl was not stupid, she could tell it was a fresh mark and she felt sick with worry.

Esmeralda watched her parents closely that night wanting to find any sign that they had hit their daughter but both of them were acting normally and not showing any sign that they had caused the mark on their middle daughter's face. She also watched Ethel...did the girl seem more on edge or was it her imagination?

Eventually the adults said the youngsters could go upstairs as they finished talking. Esmeralda followed her sisters and Harriet.

"You two go ahead I just need to talk to Ethel for a minute" Esmeralda told the younger two girls as she hung back with her needing to talk to her.

"What is up Esmie?" Ethel asked curiously wondering why her sister wanted to talk to her here. What was so important that it could not wait?

"What happened to your face?" Esmeralda asked.

Ethel had forgotten about the fresh mark and tried to think of a good excuse on the spot, she had not thought she would see her sister that night so she had not thought of anything prior.

"You know what is wrong with my cheek I already told you I got hit with a broomstick" Ethel told her trying to pretend it was the same mark from the other day.

"Ethie...do you think I am stupid? One, the other day it was pink and now it is bright red and two, that was the other cheek" Esmeralda told her.

"Oh true...it is just a rash I think I had a allergic reaction" Ethel replied hoping her sister would buy that like Sybil did but Esmeralda was not Sybil.

"Oh really? What did you have a reaction to then?" Esmeralda asked her little sister with her arms folded basically telling her she was not buying her excuses.

Ethel shrugged not able to think of anything that sounded likely "I don't know I am sure the redness will go down soon" Ethel replied wanting her sister to drop it before she blurted out the truth.

Esme closed her eyes for a second knowing it was time to ask her sister about her fears.

"Ethie I am going to ask you something because I am worried" Esmeralda told her sister worried about her.

"What is it?" Ethel asked quietly somehow scared of the question.

"Did someone hit you?" Esmie asked her straight out. If someone was hitting her sister she did not want to play games, she just wanted to help Ethel as soon as possible.

Ethel thought about what to tell her. In a way she felt guilty, she had wound her parents up so they had snapped and she did not want to get them into trouble and break up her family.

"No!" Ethel replied hoping she did not sound like she was lying "There is nothing going on it is just a stupid rash will you drop it Esmeralda?" Ethel said walking away from her sister.

Esmeralda looked at her sister as she walked away her worse fears realised. She knew her sister was lying by the way she had been acting as she had been so defensive, someone had hurt her baby sister and she was going to do everything she could to find out who and put a stop to it.


	7. Chapter 7- Caught In The Act

A/N: Sorry if this chapter seems a little extreme but it needs to be extreme for Esmie to react.

* * *

Chapter Seven- Caught In The Act

Esmeralda was on edge for the next few days worried about her sister and the thing was Ethel seemed to be avoiding her, she was not coming over or mirroring her which made Esmeralda worry even more, she was not able to concentrate on anything because her worries were scaring her.

"Esmie will you stop pacing it is really distracting" Cadence told her room-mate as the girl had been pacing for the last ten minutes.

"I can't help it...my baby sister could be getting hit right now" Esmeralda replied in a panic.

"You don't know for sure if she is being hit" Cadence logically replied as no-one had confessed the girl was being hit.

"Oh yes I do, I know when Ethel is lying and how can someone who is the least clumsy person I have ever met get injured on different cheeks in the space of a few days?" Esmeralda asked as she stopped pacing and chewed on her thumb.

"But it doesn't make a lot of sense, your parents have not hit Ethel in the fourteen years of her life why would they start now?" Cadence asked not understanding.

"Actually it does make sense, my parents would never lay a finger on Ethel with me there, they know I would hit them back ten times harder" Esmeralda replied feeling sick with worry.

"Well how about your other sister? Has she got any signs of being hit?" Cadence asked her room-mate curiously.

"No" Esmeralda admitted. "But she is my parents little baby they would never hurt Sybil, mum and dad don't like Ethel and they struggle with her, you know she can be awkward they never know how to deal with it, I was always the one who dealt with it" Esmeralda replied knowing exactly the reasons why her parents would not touch Sybil.

"Well you know your family better than anyone I suppose, do you really believe your parents would go that far though even with Ethel?" Cadence asked her seriously.

Esmeralda fell silent. She had not stopped to think about that. Her parents disliked Ethel it was not a secret but would they really go so far as to hit their own child, even Ethel? Esmeralda knew deep down they would, they can't control Ethel it would be their form of punishment for her.

"I have to go" Esmeralda said as she realised that her parents would definitely go that far, they would if Ethel was being difficult.

The blonde walked out the door before her friend could reply and rushed to grab her broomstick before taking off back to her home.

* * *

Ethel was in her bedroom doing her homework that needed to be handed in at the start of the new year and avoiding her parents, her parents were due back from work any second now. Sybil was currently out at a friend's house so Ethel was alone and when she heard her parents voices downstairs she paid no attention until she heard them walking up the stairs sounding like they were in a rush.

Mr and Mrs Hallow pushed open her door wearing a look Ethel had never seen any of them wear before, it was a look of pure hatred and anger and all Ethel could do was wonder what in the world she could have possibly done for them to be looking at her like that.

"What?" Ethel asked looking at them with a look of confusion.

Ethel jumped as her dad slammed the door shut before he started walking closer to her.

"Guess who was visiting our work today?" he asked his daughter unable to keep the anger out of his voice.

"Erm...Mr Robinson?" Ethel said guessing. She had no idea where her father was going with this.

"No...Mr Nightshade" her father replied as if that revealed the reason they were so angry.

"Enid's father?" Ethel questioned not knowing anyone else with that last name.

"That is right, and he told us something very interesting about you" Mrs Hallow replied glaring at her middle daughter.

"What did he tell you?" Ethel asked wondering what he could possibly have told us that made her parents so angry.

"That you are the one who bullied his daughter and her friends" Mrs Hallow replied not able to keep the anger out of her voice.

Ethel did not understand why her parents were so mad, they already knew about the problems between Ethel, Mildred, Maud and Enid but over the last few years Ethel had stopped caring about the other girls so much, especially as she knew she was on her own so Esmie was not there to stick up for her, the girls still did not like each other but she hadn't really done anything to them recently.

"I haven't done anything to Enid in ages" Ethel replied truthfully.

"Do you know how embarrassing it was to have to apologise for your behaviour?" Mr Hallow asked not even listening to Ethel's comment.

"I haven't flaming done anything to Enid" Ethel replied getting wound up.

"I can't believe you are a bully, and you call yourself a Hallow" Mrs Hallow replied coldly. That comment hurt Ethel more than she let on as she always prided herself on her family name.

"I am not bullying Enid flaming Nightshade" Ethel tried to once again explain to her parents.

"We did not raise you to be a bully" Mr Hallow told her once again ignoring her comment.

Ethel took in what she had said and then shook her head only then realising the truth. She was a bully because of the two people stood before her, they messed her up so much with their treatment of her she only felt good about herself when she hurt someone else, if her parents had bothered with her like the other two maybe she would not of had to resort to bullying to be noticed. At this comment Ethel grew very angry.

"I bully people because of you two, you make me so miserable I only feel good about myself when I cause someone else pain!" Ethel shouted to them.

"Don't you dare blame your bad behaviour on us" Mr Hallow shouted back to his daughter not liking how she was blaming them for her actions.

"But it is mostly your fault!" Ethel shouted back.

Her father hit her around the face at that like he had done a few days ago but Ethel was so angry at that moment she hit him back not wanting to put up with not defending herself anymore.

"You little brat!" her mother shouted "You never learn do you?" her mother told her looking at her with such a deep look of hatred.

Ethel looked at her parents and spat at them, she was done with them.

"You disgusting brat" her father shouted pulling her off the bed having had enough of his daughter.

"You need to learn your lesson!" Mrs Hallow replied.

Before Ethel could react she felt a pain on her face and realised one of her parents had just punched her. The girl covered her face as she felt her parents attacking her on the floor clearly she had made them lose it.

Ethel cried out as she felt blood and pain on her body but they were not stopping she closed her eyes tightly willing it to be over, just wanting to get away from them.

* * *

Esmeralda jumped of her broomstick a few feet from the ground and ran with her broomstick to the broomshed. After putting her broomstick in the broomshed Esmie rushed to the front door of her house hoping she had made it in time. She knew her parents were working and she was planning on talking to Ethel without them there.

She put her key in the lock and opened the door rushing in and was happy to see all seemed quiet.

"Ethie..Ethie where are you?" Esmeralda asked wanting to talk to her without alerting her parents to her presence if they were in. Suddenly Esmeralda heard someone scream and shot her head in the direction it had come from.

"Ethie!?" the girl said in a panic. The person screamed again and Esmeralda rushed up the stairs two at a time hearing the noise coming from inside her sister's bedroom she rushed in.

Rushing in she saw her mother and father beating up her little sister who was clearly in a bad way.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" she shouted causing them to stop and look at her.


	8. Chapter 8- Esmeralda's Punishments

A/N: This chapter is rated M for violence, if you think Esmeralda's reaction is extreme I apoligise.

* * *

Chapter Eight- Esmeralda's Punishments  


Mr and Mrs Hallow stepped away from their middle daughter and stared wide-eyed at their eldest shocked to see her there and worried now they had been caught in the act. For a few moments everyone just stared at each other until Esmeralda came to her senses.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!" Esmeralda shouted as she stepped into the room rushing over to Ethel.

"Darling it is not what it looks like, Ethel was playing up, we were just discipling her" Mr Hallow told his eldest trying to defend their actions.

Esmeralda helped her little sister of the ground wondering how they could justify this. The younger blonde had bruises and blood dripping down her face, This was way past the line of punishments. Esmeralda wanted to do was comfort her sister and clean up her injuries but right now she had to deal with her parents.

"Ethie go wait downstairs, we will go to my flat in a few minutes" Esmeralda said calmly to her sister trying to keep the anger out of her voice.

When her sister had left Esmeralda lifted her hand putting a silencing charm on the room and also locking the door and putting a anti-transfer spell on the room not trusting her parents to not try to leave.

* * *

"WHAT THE BLOODY HELL ARE YOU PLAYING AT?" Esmeralda then shouted telling her parents off.

"Darling it was only a punishment, she was out of control" Mrs Hallow told her eldest really believing they had not done anything wrong.

"A punishment!?" Esmeralda shouted her voice full of amazement. "She has blood dripping down her face! That is way past the line of a punishment" Esmeralda shouted. Her temper was so high right now. "Don't you dare hit my sister because you cannot control her!" Esmeralda told them her voice a much different tone than normal. It was a deadly tone.

"Esmeralda, we have tried okay! She won't listen to anything, no punishments work on her except for physical punishments!" Mr Hallow replied.

"Oh then how come I have never had to hit her?" Esmeralda asked them glaring at them with eyes full of daggers.

"Just because you have never done it does not mean you have not thought about it, which is the same thing!" Mrs Hallow yelled back.

Esmeralda felt extremely hurt by that comment. It was true Ethel could be a nightmare, sometimes Esmeralda was driven mad by the younger girl and sometimes she was at the end of her ropes with her but she had never thought about hitting Ethel, or Sybil. It had never crossed her mind before, she would never think about physically hurting either of her sisters no matter how difficult they were being.

"Excuse me!" I have never thought about hitting Ethel actually!" Esmeralda replied her anger if anything seeing to have raised.

"Oh whatever, I am sick to death of her, take her and bloody leave if you care so much" Mrs Hallow replied. She had had more than enough of her middle daughter.

Esmeralda shook her head. She planned to do just that but she was not going to let her parents get away with what they had done either.

"You know mum, dad, I don't think it was very wise of you to encourage me so much to study and learn every spell there is" Esmeralda told her parents starting her torment.

"Why is that?" Mr Hallow asked not sure where his daughter was going with this.

"Because if you had not encouraged me so much I would not know spells like this" Esmeralda said before casting a spell without speaking, wanting her parents tormented with trying to guess what spell she was casting.

Suddenly out of nowhere her parents were thrown to the floor and were being beaten just like Ethel only no-one was touching them.

"Ahh stop!" Mrs Hallow shouted trying to avoid another hit in the face to no avail.

Esmeralda let them be beaten for a few minutes before lifting the spell and only gave them a few seconds relief before she cast another spell. The two of them floated up until they hang from the ceiling and then Esmeralda span them around in a circle making them dizzy and then she clicked her fingers making them fall hard onto the floor causing a horrible sound as their bones broke.

Esmeralda then cast a spell that made them feel like they were being burnt, then she cast the first spell she had used letting them be beaten at the same time.

"Esmie...stop" Mrs Hallow cried out in pain wanting her daughter to lift the curses.

"No! This is only a fraction of how much you two have hurt Ethie over the years, you both disgust me!" She shouted at them in reply as she knew from that moment that nothing would ever be the same between them again.

"We are sorry darling...just stop please!" Mr Hallow replied clearly in pain.

"You are not sorry! You don't regret what you have done at all!" Esmeralda replied knowing they were only apologising so that she would lift the spell.

"We are sorry we are really sorry!" Mrs Hallow replied through her sobs.

"Oh come on mother you have had three kids I thought you could take a little bit of pain" Esmeralda told her mother as she strengthened the spell.

Esmeralda watched as her parents fussed clearly in agony thanks to her curses, finally she thought they had suffered enough and lifted the spell. Both cried out in relief until they found themselves pinned to the wall behind them.

* * *

Esmeralda walked up to both her parents grabbing them by the front of their clothes and getting close to their faces before she started to talk.

"You two are going to stay away from Ethel because if you don't, If I find out you have hit my sister again, if I find out you have hurt her again, I will kill you, do you understand me?" Esmeralda asked her parents.

The girl was clearly serious because she was wearing such a evil look she looked literally insane, it was a look neither parent had seen before, not even in Ethel. Both Mr and Mrs Hallow nodded actually scared of their daughter.

Esmeralda nodded and broke the spell causing both her parents to fall forward onto the floor. Esmeralda made no attempt to help them but stormed out the room slamming the door shut behind her.

Esmeralda leaned against the wall telling herself to calm down as Ethel needed her and then she walked down the stairs to go to Ethel.


	9. Chapter 9- Fainting

Chapter Nine- Fainting  


Esmeralda rushed down the stairs and found Ethel dabbing her face with a tissue as the blood had dripped down her chin, the girl tried not to recoil in horror at the sight of her sister's injuries, which looked much worse up close, and walked up to her.

"Come on we have to go" Esmeralda told her little sister. Ethel did not have to be told twice and followed her sister out the door, Esmeralda realised her little sister was in no fit state to fly, how the hell was she supposed to control a broomstick with blood dripping everywhere? Therefore Esmeralda got out her broomstick but left her sister's in the shed knowing they would have to come back later for it.

"You will have to come with me, there is no-way you can fly like that" Esmeralda told her sister seriously. Ethel would normally argue but the girl only nodded and Esmeralda realised why, she looked quite pale clearly not in a good state.

Esmeralda mounted her broomstick and Ethel got on sitting behind her holding onto her waist for support as they took of into the sky. Esmeralda flew silently as she concentrated knowing it was harder to steer with two people until Ethel started to talk.

"Esmie...am I in trouble? Ethel asked her sister worried she was in a lot of trouble.

"No...why would you be?" Esmeralda asked Ethel confused as to why she would think she was in trouble, she was the victim after all.

"It is my fault...I wound them up, I deserved it" Ethel replied really thinking it was her fault. If she had behaved she would not be in this mess.

"Ethel, it is not your fault" Esmeralda replied not really able to talk to her sister properly right now as she was concentrating but she would make sure her sister knew later this was not her fault.

* * *

Esmeralda flew a lot slower than normal, she would never forgive herself if she crashed with her sister there. When they were coming towards the end of the flight Esmeralda felt Ethel grab hold of her tighter before she leaned her head on her back.

"Ethie are you alright?" Esmeralda asked concerned as she felt her sister do that.

Ethel moaned in response and Esmeralda was worried the girl was about to faint, after all she had lost quite a bit of blood. With this worry in mind Esmeralda flew faster and was grateful when she saw the college campus, she landed quickly jumping off her broomstick and saw Ethel was struggling to stay conscious.

"Oh Ethie...come on you have to stay awake" she told her helping her down from the broomstick but the girl just flopped against her drifting slowly unconscious. Esmeralda grabbed a hold of her gently keeping her upright and looked around seeing if there was anyone around.

"Hey you" Esmeralda said to the only person in the courtyard. A young teenage boy with dark blonde hair and blue eyes. As he heard someone shout he turned around seeing the girl supporting her sister who was clearly in a bad way.

"Can you get the nurse please?" Esmeralda asked him not wanting to leave her sister in this state. The young boy nodded and then ran off and Esmeralda slowly lay her sister on the grass as she fainted stroking her hair as she waited for help.

The boy and the college nurse arrived a few minutes later and the nurse kneeled down looking at the younger girl very concerned.

"Is this girl a pupil?" the nurse asked surprised as Ethel looked far to young to be attending college.

"No this is my little sister Ethel, she's fourteen" Esmeralda told the nurse quickly as she kneeled next to her sister.

"Do you know what happened?" the nurse asked as she started to look at the girl's injuries.

"She was beaten up, she lost some blood, I don't know how much" Esmeralda replied trying to help the nurse by giving her as much information as she knew. Esmeralda heard murmuring and looked around realising a crowd had formed as after all it was not everyday as young girl with intense injuries lay on the grass of their college campus covered in blood.

"I better get this girl to the nurse's station right now" the nurse said as she stood up and looked at the crowd.

"Move out the way all of you!" she shouted to them.

"I can carry her" Esmeralda told the nurse gently picking her little sister up and taking her to the nurse's station, laying her on a bed.

* * *

Esmeralda kept a hold of her sister's hand as the nurse worked on fixing the girl up. With a few clever healing spells the nurse had cleared the blood and stopped the bleeding but she could not do anything about the bruises, witches were still figuring out how to heal bruises magically.

"Is she going to be okay?" Esmeralda asked in a panic over her little sister.

"Yes she will be just fine, the bruises will take a few weeks to heal but she should be back on her feet in no-time, loss of blood can cause dizziness or unconsciousness which is why she fainted but she should be waking up soon" The nurse kindly told the young girl.

"Thank you, thank you so much" Esmeralda replied grateful this woman had helped her precious little sister.

"You do know that you are not meant to have outside visitors staying at the college don't you?" the nurse asked the older girl as she knew she could not send the younger girl home in the state she was in.

"Yes I know, please don't tell it won't be for long only until she is better" Esmeralda lied because honestly she had no idea what she was going to do in the long run.

The nurse looked at the young girl sat before her and saw the worry on her face, the nurse had no idea how such a young girl had ended up in such a bad state but the eldest was clearly worried about her so for now she would not tell.

"Alright well I can not discharge the girl anyway, if anything happened to her because she had been allowed to leave to early it would be a disaster, I want to keep her in overnight to make sure she is really alright, is that okay?" the nurse asked Esmeralda.

"Can I stay with her please?" Esmeralda asked the nurse with pleading eyes.

"I am afraid not, there is not enough room" the nurse replied with a smile. "Shall I call your parents and tell them not to expect her home?" the nurse asked Esmeralda.

Esmeralda's eyed darkened at the mention of her parents before she replied trying to remain calm.

"No thank you that will not be necessary" Esmeralda told the woman trying to keep the harshness out of her voice.

The nurse normally would push it but she could hear the anger in the girl's voice as she spoke and the young girl was with a family member who was an adult and it was really none of the nurse's business about why the parents should not be told.

"Alright I will take your word for it" The nurse replied leaving the girl alone with her sister.

* * *

Esmeralda wiped a tear sadly as she looked at her bruised and battered sister feeling like it was all her fault, she was after all the eldest she was supposed to protect her sister and make sure she never got hurt and she had failed to do that. She stroked her sister's hand gently.

That was the moment everything really changed for Esmeralda. Yes the girl had looked after her sister, both her sisters, for many years and in a way she had done a lot more than her parents, but that was the moment Esmeralda realised her little sister was solely her responsibility now, she was the one who would have to provide for her and raise her alone and she had no idea how she was going to do it. Looking after Ethel herself she was a expert at it was finding somewhere to live, getting money and fitting everything in she was worried about. Neither girl could rely on going home to a big house without any worries about money now. Esmeralda had no choice but to worry about it. All that stuff was now her responsibility.

Esmeralda stroked her sister's hair gently telling herself they would be okay if they stuck together, she had no time to worry about it right now anyway as she had to make sure Ethel was okay before anything else.

Esmeralda stayed with her sister until the nurse said she had to leave as it was late and the girl got up reluctantly.

"Okay just look after her she is very special" Esmeralda told the nurse terrified of leaving her in the hands of someone else after what had happened.

"She will be fine I promise you" the nurse reassured the girl as she was able to tell she was in a panic.

"Thank you" Esmeralda said with a small smile as she kissed her sister's forehead, told the nurse she would be back first thing in the morning and then left going back to her own flat.


	10. Chapter 10-Hiding

A/N: I brought The Bettle from Weirdsister College into this chapter as I needed her, she will probably make very few appearances. I do NOT own The Worst Witch or Weirdsister College.

* * *

Chapter Ten- Hiding  


Esmeralda had a really bad night where she tossed and turned unable to sleep, worried about leaving Ethel with someone who was a stranger, that is why as soon as sunlight shone through her window she leaped out of bed, dressed quickly and left her flat to go visit her sister.

Arriving at the hospital wing, Esmeralda was happy to see Ethel awake and sat up in bed.

"Ethie!" Esmeralda said happily as she went into the room more beaming and hugged her sister happily.

"I am fine Esmie honest" Ethel told her sister as she could tell she was in a panic.

"Are you in pain?" Esmeralda asked her sister concerned as she sat down on her sisters bed.

"Only a little bit" Ethel told her sister knowing there was no point in hiding it as her sister could see through her. "Esmie can I ask you something?" Ethel asked her sister quietly.

"Of course Ethie you can ask me anything, what is it?" Esmie asked her sister gently wanting to know what she wanted to ask her.

"Do I have to go back home?" Ethel asked biting her lip seeming scared of the thought of it. Esmeralda took her sister's hand before replying.

"No, of course not, you can't go back there not with what ...happened" Esmeralda replied not even wanting to go through exactly what her parents had done again.

"But I have no-where to go..., mum and dad are only children and all our grandparents are too old, you know they would struggle with me" Ethel replied really worried.

The girl had thought about this since she had woken up. She couldn't go home...she was to scared to go back home and Esmie might not be there next time to help her, but there was no other family to take her in, the girl had been panicking thinking she would be taken into care.

"You have me silly, I will look after you" Esmeralda told her sister amazed she would think otherwise.

"Bu...but you can't" Ethel replied. She had thought it all through after all and she did not see how it would be possible.

"Why not?" Esmeralda asked her sister confused.

"We have no-where to live, you know as well as I do that I cannot stay here, it is against the rules, and we have no money" Ethel replied logically knowing it was not as easy as just having Esmeralda love her.

Esmeralda sighed knowing her sister was right. It might be true their parents were rich, but that was their parents not them, Esmeralda barely had enough money of her own to buy food for herself let along for Ethel too.

"Ethie...please try not to worry I will figure something out" Esmeralda told her little sister even though she had no idea what she was going to do or where she was going to start.

"But how?" Ethel asked knowing her sister had no plan. The girl right now was basically homeless and she was terrified.

"I don't know...but we will stay together I will make sure of it" Esmeralda told her sister trying to reassure her before she stood up and kissed her sister on the head. "I need to speak to Cadence quickly will you be alright?" Esmeralda asked her sister full of worry for her.

"Yes I will be fine, the nurse is really nice" Ethel replied as she honestly liked her.

"Good I will not be long" Esmeralda told her sister as she left the hospital wing and went back to her flat to talk to her room-mate. The girl had a really stupid idea but right now, as she sorted something else out, she had no other option.

* * *

"Cadence I need to talk to you" Esmeralda said seeing her room-mate emerging from her bedroom.

"Oh is it about Ethel?" Cadence asked. Esmeralda gave her a questioning look wondering how she knew that.

"Things get around this college quickly, I heard about what happened yesterday, so who was it that attacked her?" Cadence asked as she sat on the sofa.

"My parents, I told you they were hitting her I just didn't know it was so bad" Esmeralda replied sitting on a sofa too. Cadence looked at her friend in shock.

"That is low, what you going to do?" Cadence asked looking concerned.

"I am not sending Ethie back there...I will look after here there is no-one else, that is what I wanted to talk to you about, I need your help to hide her" Esmeralda told her friend waiting for the reaction.

"What!?" Cadence said her mouth opened in shock. "Are you crazy? That will never work" Cadence replied.

"It is only for a few weeks until I figure something out, please help me with this, I can't lose my sister" Esmeralda asked the girl desperate.

"Alright I will help you, but it can't be forever" Cadence replied knowing it would be impossible to keep the game up for too long.

"Thank you" Esmeralda told her friend with a smile.

* * *

Over the new few days Esmeralda went to visit Ethel in the hospital wing. She did not tell her sister about the plan to hide her as she didn't want her to accidentally tell the nurse, a week later the girl was released from hospital.

"Ethie...you are going to have to stay here for a while" Esmeralda told her sister with a sigh.

"But I am not allowed" Ethel replied worried. Sure Ethel was one to break the rules but they were very strict about the outside guests staying over rule and Ethel knew it led to expulsion almost instantly.

"We have no choice right now" Esmeralda told her sister knowing if she did not stay there she was homeless.

Hiding Ethel though proved to be very difficult, she had to stay in the flat all day as if anyone saw her entering or leaving the flat they would be caught, the young girl was bored out of her mind most of the day as she waited for her sister to get back from her lessons.

As well as staying hidden there was other problems with Ethel secretly staying over as well, one of them being only having two beds in the flat. Esmeralda had insisted her sister take her bed and was sleeping on the sofa, this was fine at first but then she started to get back pain from lying on the lumpy sofa so much. Then there was the food problem. Esmeralda got a student loan but it was not much and she could barely afford to feed them both properly.

Not only was Esmeralda having money problems and struggling to get a job as no-one wanted to hire a teenager because they thought she was 'unreliable', it was getting very hard to hide Ethel and there was quite a few times she nearly got found, one such time it was only pure luck that she didn't.

* * *

Ethel had been sitting on the sofa with Cadence as the two girls spoke quietly, Esmeralda was out job hunting so it was just them two. Someone knocked on the door and Cadence went to answer it and gasped as she saw The Beetle stood there.

Veronica Dewdrop, better known as The Beetle, was in charge of security and finances at Weirdsister college and pretty much everyone hated the woman. The reason Cadence was so shocked was she had never seen the woman come to their flat before, not without notice anyway.

Ethel gasped and stood up turning away and muttering a quick spell that made her taller. She just hoped the woman bought it.

"I have a source that tells me someone is hiding someone in their flat so I am checking all of them" the woman said stepping into the room. The Beetle walked up to the blonde girl.

"Esmeralda Hallow your sister was here last week injured does this mysterious person have anything to do with you?" the woman asked as she thought this was where the girl was hiding.

Ethel looked up at the woman to reply and shook her head. "No Miss, my sister is back at home" Ethel replied able to pretty much sound like her sister. Ethel was grateful she looked so much like her sister in that moment or she could never pull this off and as The Beetle did not know Esmeralda particularly well it was easy to fool the woman. Ethel only hoped she did not notice how her eye colour had suddenly changed.

"Are you sure about that Hallow?" the woman asked trying to catch the girl out. She knew it was in the flat that someone was hiding, both Esmeralda and Cadence had seemed shifty.

"Of course, Ethel and Sybil are both at home safe and well, but feel free to search the flat if you don't believe me" Ethel told the woman pretending to be Esmie.

The Beetle did just that and found nothing odd luckily for them, she walked to the door but stopped before going through it.

"I will be back, we won't stop searching until we catch the person hiding, good day" the woman said as she left. Ethel lifted her hand stopping the spell and shrinking back to normal size.

"That was close, we have to do something" Cadence told Ethel who was sick with fear.


	11. Chapter 11- A Solution

Chapter Eleven- A Solution

Esmeralda knew time was limited, she had to sort something out and fast because the college was suspicious, Esmeralda had managed to land a part-time job in a small shop but the problem was she would have to save for years in order to be able to afford any rent on any property. One day, when Ethel was still asleep Cadence made a suggestion.

"Why are you struggling when your parents are so rich?" Cadence asked not understanding why the girl did not just get money of them.

"That is their money not mine, that is why" Esmeralda replied.

"Yes but as the eldest you are supposed to inherit it" Cadence told the girl logically.

"Yes when they die, not yet" Esmeralda said. Cadence raised her eyebrows and Esmie shook her head.

"Don't even suggest it" Esmeralda told the girl knowing the girl was about to suggest something that would get rid of her parents.

"Okay fair enough but why don't you ask them to borrow some money?" Cadence now suggested this time being serious.

"Oh yes that would be a charming conversation "Hi mother, father, I attacked you and illegally took your daughter from you so can I borrow £10,000?" Esmeralda replied saracatically.

Cadence laughed slightly but then replied again seriously "I didn't mean that, Esmie they owe you, if they had left Ethel alone you would not have had to take her, why don't you give them a ultimatum ?" Cadence suggested to her friend.

"Like what?" Esmeralda asked generally curious.

"Well tell them that if they give you money and sign over their rights to Ethel you will get out of their lives, basically you won't see them anymore, you won't bother them" Cadence replied giving her an idea.

"But...we can't do that...I don't care about my parents but what about Sybil?" Esmeralda replied not wanting to lose her sister in this big mess.

"I am sure you can sort something out, I mean after all unless your parents take Sybil out of school, Ethel will have to see her" Cadence logically replied.

Esmeralda thought about it. What did she have to lose? All they could do was refuse to talk to her or agree to give her the money, it was getting more and more dangerous to hide Ethel and they needed somewhere to live, she had to try.

"I think you are right...that was a really clever idea Cadence" Esmeralda replied surprised she had not thought of it.

"I have my moments" the girl said with a chuckle "Go, I will feed Ethel don't worry" Cadence told her friend.

"Please don't, please let her starve until I get back" Esmeralda replied not wanting her sister poisoned by the food her room-mate gives her.

Esmeralda made her way outside and took of on her broomstick after grabbing it from the shed and starting the half an hour journey home, she was nervous about being able to control her anger once she saw her parents but she had to for her sister.

* * *

Arriving at her house she landed and unlocked the door walking in just hoping her parents were home, she walked into the front room and found them sitting at the dining table talking.

"Mother, Father" Esmeralda said to gain their attention, they both looked up at her.

"GET OUT!" Mr Hallow said not giving the usual warm welcome to the eldest after she had attacked them. Both of them were covered in bruises and were clearly in a worst state than Ethel.

"You think I want to be here? We need to talk" Esmeralda replied as she looked at them.

"No we don't, after you attacked us we have nothing to discuss" Mrs Hallow replied very angrily.

"Look sit down and shut up for once, I have a solution and I think you will like it, I am not leaving so you must as well just sit down" Esmeralda told her parents folding her arms to avoid cursing them.

Mr Hallow glanced at his watch seeing his daughter was still standing there, Sybil was at home he did not want any commotion which was the only reason he gave in.

"You have half an hour" he told her as the three of them went to sit down. Esmeralda sat down facing them not wanting to be here longer than she had to so got right to the point.

"Let's not play games, I know you don't want Ethel back" Esmeralda told them knowing they had never wanted the middle daughter.

"Oh how did you know?" Mrs Hallow asked saracatically.

"Because it is obvious, well I have a solution for you, I am prepared to look after Ethel myself so I want you both to sign over your paternal rights to her" Esmeralda told them getting right to the point.

"Why would we do that?" Mr Hallow asked narrowing his eyebrows.

"Because if you don't legally I am not allowed to look after Ethie, and if I go through social services it could take years and when someone is prepared to take her off your hands for good you should jump at it, you never wanted her anyway" Esmeralda told her parents her reasoning.

Mr and Mrs Hallow looked at each other and Esmie smiled to herself knowing they were considering it.

"What is the catch?" Mrs Hallow asked not thinking Esmie had come all the way here just for that reason alone.

"Alright I want the rights to Ethel and money" Esmeralda told her parents the truth. Mr Hallow scoffed.

"Money? After what you did to us you think we will give you money?" he asked her amazed.

"Look, Ethel can't stay with me in college and I have no money to rent anywhere, I have a job but I will be saving for years to have enough, the only way I can get money quickly is if I prostitute myself which I am not stupid enough to do, anyway it is not like giving me some money is going to really even make a dent in your money" Esmeralda told her parents.

Her parents looked at each other neither liking her idea. They did not want to give her money.

"Look, if you give me Ethie and some money we will stay out of your way, you will never have to see us again, this whole mess is your fault so for once in your life do the right thing and give me some money so I can get the stuff Ethel and I need" Esmeralda told her parents trying to convince her parents it was a good idea.

"Give us a few minutes" Mrs Hallow said as she started to whisper with her husband, Esmie saw them each nod a few times until they turned to look at her again.

* * *

"We will give you what you want" Mr Hallow told his oldest

"Really?" Esmeralda asked not thinking it would be so easy. She thought it would take longer.

"But" Mrs Hallow replied and Esmeralda rolled her eyes, she should have known there would be a but.

"If we give you this money you and Ethel are essentially no longer a part of this family and will not be welcome around here, we do not want to associate with Ethel anymore so you have to pick between us" Mrs Hallow told the girl.

"I love Ethel and I still pick her" Esmeralda replied not having to think about it.

"We also don't want you coming back around here begging for more money" Mr Hallow told his daughter knowing the money would eventually run out. He was telling her this was a one off so not to expect more.

"Oh I won't it is just to get me by for now, so how do we go about sending over the rights to Ethel?" Esmeralda asked.

"I will call a solicitor and see" Mrs Hallow told her daughter.

"Okay, thank you" Esmeralda told her parents grateful they were not fighting her on this.

"I will get the chequebook" Mr Hallow said as he stood up and walked to a drawer pulling a chequebook out and walking back to his daughter as he filled the cheque out.

"How much do you want?" her father asked her.

"Enough to get everything I need" Esmeralda replied not wanting to push her luck by asking for too much.

Her father wrote down a amount and ripped the cheque out the book but did not give it to her straight away.

"5000, I know it sounds a lot but it will soon go so make sure you don't spend it on something stupid" he warned her.

"Do I have to pay it back?" Esmeralda asked thinking there might be a catch. She knew her parents were crafty.

"If you promise not to tell Sybil about the details of what happened, you can have it as a gift" her father told her.

Esmeralda thought about it, there was not really any point in upsetting Sybil, Esmie knew her parents would never touch Sybil so she could agree.

"Okay I promise, but can I have in writing it is a gift?" Esmeralda asked not stupid, she knew her parents would probably hold it against her a few years from now. Her father glared at her but then cast a spell making a contact appear, two copies one for them and one for Esmie, he signed it, then Mrs Hallow and after reading through it word for word Esmie signed it too.

"Right we will sort out the custody stuff but this means you both stay away" Mrs Hallow told her finally giving the girl the cheque.

"Deal, thank you for this I am glad we could sort it out" Esmeralda said as she left and just stared at the cheque having never being in possession of so much money herself before but she knew it was to be spent wisely so she rushed to the bank to deposit it smiling, maybe everything would be okay.


	12. Chapter 12- A Home At Last

A/N: Another story complete thank you for all the support.

* * *

Chapter Twelve- A Home At Last  


Ethel was in the living room area happily tucking into a bacon sandwich that Cadence had made forgetting her sister's waning about the cooking. Ethel was chewing happily when she felt something weird and put her hands in her mouth pulling out what looked like a piece of long cloth.

"Eww what is this?" Ethel asked staring at it, Cadence looked over and smiled awkwardly.

"Oh well when I was cooking this morning I cut my hand...I think that is the bandage I put on" Cadence said with a small smile.

Ethel looked at the bandage and realised there was a red stain on it and dropped the bandage realising it had blood on it. Suddenly Ethel felt sick and ran to the bathroom throwing up. Cadence went and stood outside the door worried about the girl.

* * *

Esmeralda returned home for the first time in weeks feeling happy and worry free because she knew she now had the funds to look after Ethel properly, that all ended when Esmeralda walked through the door of her flat after unlocking it and saw Cadence looking worried outside the bathroom.

"Hi Cadence, where is Ethie?" Esmeralda asked looking around the room for her until she heard someone throwing up.

"ETHIE!?" Esmeralda shouted "What happened?" Esmie asked Cadence wondering why her sister was being so sick.

Cadence did not fancy getting cursed by Esmeralda for poisoning her precious little sister so she said "Morning sickness" without thinking. Cadence saw Esmie's eyes blaze with anger at basically being told her little sister was pregnant before she stormed into the room.

"Ethie!" Esmeralda shouted as she saw her sister throwing up.

"Esmie..." Ethel said trying to refrain from throwing up again.

"Do you have something to tell me?" Esmie asked angrily. Ethel nodded.

"I forgot about you finding the plaster in your food and ate some breakfast Cadence made and found a bloody bandage in it" Ethel replied. Esmie knew she was not lying who could make that up on the spot.

"CADENCE YOU POSIONED MY SISTER" Esmie shouted. Cadence made a noise and ran off to hide before Esmeralda had a chance to hurt her. Esmie rolled her eyes telling her she would get her later before she sat on the floor next to her sister rubbing her back.

"Where did you go?" Ethel asked looking quite pale after she had thrown up so much.

"I went to mum and dads, guess what they signed over the rights to you so legally I am your guardian now" Esmeralda told her hoping she did not get super angry because she had gone to see their parents. "I also got money, we can move out Ethie" Esmeralda told her as she beamed.

"But why would mum and dad help us?" Ethel asked thinking there must be some catch somewhere.

"Because I agreed we would both stay away if they did, Ethie you don't have to see them again" Esmeralda told her sister happily, now that their parents were out of their lives Ethel could start to move forward without them letting her down all the time. Ethel despite her stomach still feeling funny smiled and hugged her sister happy to finally be free from the people who had made her feel so bad.

Esmie smiled and hugged her back until her sister pulled away. She saw she had a little bit of sick around her mouth, it would gross most people out but it wasn't her fault so Esmie got a towel, wiped her face and then hugged her so more before kissing her on the top of her head realising how excited she was to look after her properly.

* * *

It did not take long for the sisters to find the perfect house. It was quite far away from the city and was peaceful, but after Ethel's life she needed some peace, they moved in soon after and when the paperwork came through saying Esmie now had the rights to her sister everything was even better.

"I love it here" Ethel said looking out the window at the countryside as she beamed. Esmie could already see the girl was happier and hopefully she had intervened in time and she would not turn out like Agatha.

Everything had worked out, Esmeralda had explained to her college the situation and she was able to take Ethel to college with her, leave her with Cadence for a few hours and then finish her lessons early so she could take Ethel home. She had not seen her parents since the day she had gone to visit but Sybil was a frequent visitor, along with Cadence so everything was great.

* * *

The weeks seemed to fly by and Ethel returned to Cackle's soon after. On that morning Esmeralda went with her to explain the situation to Miss Cackle and left the girl speaking to Drusilla. Already the students of Cackle's were suspicious.

"I don't think Ethel is living at home anymore" Enid Nightshade speculated as she spoke to her best friends Mildred Hubble and Maud Spellbody.

"What makes you think that?" Maud asked her friend curiously.

"Simple. Look at her clothes, no way are they top brand clothes, she is dressed more like a normal person would dress" Enid replied thinking it was obvious.

"I actually agree, you know the Hallows normally dress in posh clothes" Mildred replied. It was true the family always had the best of the best when it came to fashion, even Ethel even though the girl was not liked by her parents it was clear when someone looked at her she was from a rich family but today she was dressed as if she had gone to a shop where normal people can afford to shop.

"I am going to ask her" Mildred replied as she started walking up to Ethel.

"Mildred, are you trying to get punched by Ethel on our first day back?" Enid asked her friend amazed.

"It is only a question" Mildred replied as she walked up to Ethel hoping the girl did not flip to much.

"Hiya Ethel, how was your summer?" Mildred started politely.

"It was great...how was yours?" Ethel asked confused as to why Mildred was talking to her.

"It was very good, erm Ethel are you still living at home?" Mildred asked her.

"What makes you think I am not?" Ethel asked defensively.

"The fact your clothes are cheap looking" Enid replied as Maud thumped her in the ribs. Ethel glared at her but for once did not feel like being mean, she no longer had to. She had the love and the family she wanted.

"Very observant, no I am not living at home I am living with Esmeralda she is my guardian now" Ethel said proudly.

"Oh that is good" Maud replied honestly happy for the girl knowing she was unhappy at home.

"Yes, Esmeralda is not rich so I can't wear expensive clothes now but I don't really mind because these new ones are purple" Ethel said happily. Truthfully, it had annoyed her at first but then when Esmeralda said she could have everything in purple if she wished she didn't care about the price anymore.

Mildred smiled. Ethel was acting so different happy and kind, she wasn't bullying people and was acting a lot more like Esmeralda than Ethel.

"I am happy you found happiness Ethel" Mildred told her hoping this meant the end of the girl bullying them.

* * *

Esmeralda knocked on the door of Ada's office and walked in after Ada had said a cheery come in.

"Good morning Miss Cackle, I am so sorry to come in like this on the first day of term I know you are busy" Esmeralda started.

"Hello Esmeralda, how was your first year of college?" Ada asked cheerfully happy to see her ex-headgirl.

"It was...eventful" Esmie replied knowing that was the best word to describe it. "But I won't keep you I just came to tell you that I am now legally Ethel's guardian" Ethel told Ada knowing the woman had to know who the girl was living with.

"Really!?" Ada asked happily. She knew Ethel was miserable with her parents and if she was being honest she was worried because her parents ill treatment of her was really starting to make Ethel go further downhill.

"Yes" Esmie said beaming "I thought it would be best for you to know, I have written down our new address and both my mobile and house phone numbers for you" Esmeralda replied as she gave the older woman a piece of paper. "I would appreciate it if you would contact me anytime you need someone to come in or talk to them about Ethel and not my parents, and I will also like you to contact me about events such as parents evening" Esmeralda told Ada getting to the point as to why she had gone there.

"Of course, I will update the records for Ethel, just Ethel yes, not Sybil?" Ada asked wanting to make sure.

"Yes just Ethie, Sybil is still living at home so my parents need to be contacted regarding anything to do with Sybil" Esmeralda replied explaining.

"That is fine, I will make sure the other teachers are made aware" Ada told her headgirl happily.

"Thank you Miss Cackle, I expect we will be seeing each other again soon so goodbye for now" Esmie said as she left.

Ada was curious as to how Ethel had ended up living with Esmie, she wasn't surprised because she thought it would happen but not until the eldest was out of college but even though she did not know all the details Ada was happy, she knew Esmeralda would send her sister on the right track and that Ethel would finally get the love and affection she needed so badly and Ada was not worried, Esmeralda might only be eighteen but the girl had always being mature beyond her years and she had no doubts about her abilities to be a mother figure to Ethel, she really always had after all. Ada smiled to herself happily knowing her pupil was turning a corner.

* * *

Esmeralda left the office and saw Ethel talking to Mildred and her friends of all people. Esmeralda had noticed it, Ethel was not as bitter anymore or jealous, she was overall nicer and she hoped her sister could finally get over the feud will Mildred Hubble. Esmeralda walked up to her sister touching her shoulder.

"Hello everyone did you have a good summer?" Esmeralda asked the crowd of her old schoolmates.

"Yes it was fairly good, long time no see, how was your first year of college?" Mildred asked the same question her headteacher had just asked.

"It was great, eventful, but great thank you for asking" Esmeralda replied not getting into why Ethel lived with her or anything. It was up to Ethel how much she wanted to tell her friends. Esmeralda spoke to the pupils for a while longer until Sybil came and hugged her and she greeted her happily only then realising she had been talking for ages and had to leave.

"Right I need to go, see you all soon" Esmeralda said to the crowd who slowly left sensing the girls should be alone to say their goodbyes. Esmeralda hugged Sybil and kissed her head.

"Can I come round for dinner when it is half-term?" Sybil asked her sister.

"Of course, arrange it with mum and dad and let me know when" Esmeralda told her as Sybil skipped away happily waving.

"Right Ethie, I will see you in a few weeks" Esmeralda told her. Ethel got upset then and hugged her tightly, not wanting to let go of her new family quite yet.

"Don't cry" Esmie said kissing her head before lifting her chin and wiping her tears "You know where I am if you need me, day or night if you need me mirror me okay?" Esmeralda told her trying to not cry herself. She hated leaving her. Ethel nodded as they hugged tighter.

"Right I really need to go, I love you" Esmeralda told her. She knew how important them words were after all Ethel had gone years without ever hearing them at home.

"I love you too" Ethel replied finally pulling away and watching as her sister left.

"Try and stay out of trouble" Esmeralda told her sister.

"No promises" Ethel replied and Esmie smirked at her response. Ethel was Ethel she couldn't expect miracles. Esmie waved as she left the school knowing her sister would be fine.

Ethel walked down the corridor of her school happily, she would miss her sister but she was so happy that she had the thing she had dreamt about since she was old enough to dream, a loving home, a real home and she still could not believe it was hers. Ethel Hallow had a home at last.


End file.
